Smith Family History

There is a 1698 christening record for a David Smith of St. Peter's Parish, New Kent, Virginia dated 3 Mar 1698 which lists his parents as Thomas Smith and his wife Mary. (FamilySearch) 

Note that this christening record has him as just David Smith, not David Thomas Smith.  It looks like someone inserted his father's given name as David's middle name.  Less than 4% of British colonists had a middle name before the American Revolution, after which through the middle 1800's middle names came into common usage.  Not one person born by 1715 in St Peter’s parish of New Kent County, Virginia was christened with a middle name. (Bob's Genealogy Cabinet)  As such this page only uses the name 'David Smith' as no historical record has him as David Thomas Smith..  Most trees have 1698 as the birth year for the David Smith who died in 1778 Louisa Co., VA. based upon the St. Peters Parish, New Kent, Virginia christening record. 

IF the two David Smith's are one and the same, then the following are siblings to the David Smith who died in 1778 Louisa Co., VA.

St. Peter's Parish, New Kent, Virginia christening records for:   (Register of St. Peter's Parish)

Thomas Smith, son of Thomas Smith & Mary baptised 11 Oct 1669. (FamilySearch)

William, son of Thomas Smith Gent. by Mary his wife born the 25 March 1686'. (FamilySearch)  Was he why David Smith's son William was given the nickname Gulielmus?

Susanna daughter to Thom. Smith & Mary his wife bap'ye 16 of April 1688. (FamilySearch)

Major Smith, so of Thomas Smith & Mary baptised 12 Mar 1692 (FamilySearch)

Mary Smith, daughter of Thomas Smith & Mary baptised 7 Aug 1696 (FamilySearch)

David Smith, son of Thomas Smith & Mary baptised 3 Mar 1698. (FamilySearch) (this is the source of 1698 birth year for David  Smith who died in 1778 Louisa Co., VA.)

Elizabeth daugh of Tho. Smith Gent. by Mary born. March 28, 1701.  (FamilySearch)

In early Colonial America waterways were the primary means to travel inland along the major rivers York and James, and their tributaries, the Pamunkey, Chickahominy, and North and South Anna, bringing colonists to what are now  Hanover County and Louisa Co. VA.   Louisa Co., was formed in 1742 from Hanover Co, which was formed from New Kent Co., VA. in 1720,  which was formed in 1654 from York county.  In 1704 St. Paul's Parish was formed from the western half of St. Peter's Parish.  Roughly the same boundary lines as Hanover Co., VA.  In 1726 St. Paul's Parish was divided by the formation of St. Martin's Parish. (Hanover County history)   David Smith could have lived within 40 miles of where he died his entire life while the name of the county and the Parish he resided in changed around him.

One of the issues in doing genealogical research in New Kent and Hanover Counties, they are among the "burned counties", so called because most of their colonila records have been lost by fire.  So we may never be able to prove conclusively that the above children were our David Smith's siblings.

Virginia county formation map (Source)

The Vestry Book of St. Paul’s Parish Hanover County, Virginia 1706-1786 by C.G. Chamberlayne Pages 232 & 244 reference a David Smith and the Processioning of lands with the date being February 17, 1711 on page 232 and again on the 21 November 1711 on page 244.   So by 1711 David Smith was of Hanover County, Virginia.

The FamilySearch profile for David Smith has him born the 3 March 1698 in St. Peter’s Parish, New Kent County, VA . If the David Smith referenced in the 1711 record is the same one born in 1698, then he was abt. 13 years old and owned land. Not impossible as I found that the Reuben Smith born abt. 1771 of Orange Co., VA had been orphaned at a abt. 9 years of age, was the only child of George Smith the younger, grandson of Joseph Smith of Orange Co. VA. who was his guardian and that Reuben Smith inherited his father’s land. NOTE this Reuben Smith, and George Smith the younger lived concurrent with my ancestor Reuben Smith of Louisa Co., VA. and his father George Smith, son of this David Smith.

The Smith Official DNA website has a profile for the David Smith born 3 March 1698 who married Elizabeth Farrar, but it then has his son David Smith born 1719 (married Elizabeth Ragland) whose listed as the father of (1) John Smith b. 1731, (2) Rev. David Smith b. 1735, (3.) Mary Smith b. 1733, & (4.) Gulielmus Smith b. 1735. But that means David Smith was fathering children at 12 to 13 years of age. Not impossible, but unlikely.

FamilySearch has a profile for David Smith 1698-1778:

(1) John Smith b. 1740 Spotsylvania Co. VA , but the first child Nancy smith was born abt. 1767. Assuming he was 21 years of age, then he was born by/before 1746.  FamilySearch shows he married Elizabeth Johnson 6 May 1776 in Spotsylvania Co., VA..(FamilySearch profile)      (Smith Official DNA profile)   Geni has John born abt. 1749 and having died 11 Sep 1815 Louisa Co., VA. and the husband of Frances Barnett and Elizabeth Lipscomb.   (Geni Profile)    WeRelate shows John born abt. 1740, dying bef 11 Sep 1815 Louisa Co., VA. and marrying abt. 1761 to Elizabeth Lipscomb. (WeRelate)    NOTE there is a FamilySearch profile for a John Smith who married Elizabeth Lipscomb who died in 1815 Louisa Co., VA with children Davd, Elizabeth, Lovina, Mary, John, Thomas, Anna, Nathan and Nancy who is stated to have been christened in Middlesex Co., VA with no documentation proving a link between the John Smith who died in 1815 Louisa Co., VA to a John Smith born in Middlesex Co., VA.

(2) David Smith b. 1735, but the earliest child for David and Sarah Hester was 1760 which if David married Hester the same year as the first child after turning 21 years of age, then his birth year might be as late as 1739. There are no deed / court records listed in Sources to provide evidence for an earlier date. FamilySearch has his birth county as Louisa, but that portion of Louisa was Hanover at the time of his birth.  (FamilySearch profile)  (Smith Official DNA profile)    Geni has David born 1744 and dying 11 Sep 1815 Granville Co., NC  (Geni Profile)

Will of David Smith 22 May 1788 prov Aug Court 1788. To have executors sell the land whereon I live to pay debts and purchase other land that will be more to benefit of my family and that my estate be kept together until my youngest child is 14 years old and then sell the whole estate and divided money to all my children or their heirs, etc. Exors: Sons Joseph--Charles and David Smith Wt: M Hung--John Oliver and Robert Hester. Inventory of David Smith dec'd 20 Oct 788 by Joseph Smith Jr and David Smith. Granville Co NC Wills and Adm Bk 2 pg 73, 79 & 80

(3) Mary Smith born 1760 Prince William Co., VA with no further information. David Smith was of Louisa Co., VA by this time so her birth location in FamilySearch Is incorrect.  (FamilySearch profile)  The SmithWolrd profile for Mary Smith has her born 1733 and dying in 1817. (Smith Official DNA profile)     The Geni profile has her born 14 Dec 1733, dying 4 Jan 1817 Louisa Co., VA and having married Thomas Lipscomb, Jr. (Geni profile)   WeRelate  shows her born 14 Dec 1733 , and dying 4 Jan 1817 Louisa Co., VA, marrying Thomas Lipscomb on 18 Oct 1759 Louisa Co., VA.

(4) Gulielmus Smith (aka William Smith) born circa 1735, but the first child was born abt. 1752. Assuming he was 21 years of age, then he was born by/before 1731. If he was 18 years old, then born by/before 1734. The earliest known record is the 1763 Hanover Co., VA Tithe lists which places him born by/before 1742. Birth year for first child determines start point for estimating his birth year. Birth location correctly states Hanover Co., VA.  (FamilySearch profile)    (Smith Official DNA profile)   (Geni Profile)

Children without Smith DNA profiles, but profiles on FamilySearch, Geni,

(5) Virginia Elizabeth Smith born 12 Sep 1735 (? source for date), but her first child was born abt. 1759. As females tended to marry at age 18, the she was born abt. 1741. No historical documents attached to prove birth date. Hanover Co., VA birth location correct based upon birth date/being 18 when first child born.  (FamilySearch profile)  Geni shows the above birth ddate; a death date of 13 Mar 1810 Spartanburg, SC.; married William Lipscomb   (Genie Profile)  A separate Geni profile has Virginia Elizabeth Smith born 12 Dec 1736 Louisa and dying 10 Sep 1820 Limestone, Spartansburg, VA. (Geni Profile)  A third profile for Elizabeth has her born 12 Sep 1736 and dying 1830 Limestone, Spartansburg, VA ?  Not NC.

(6) Nathaniel Smith born 1740. His first child was born abt. 1758 so his birth year places him as bring 18 years of age, but if he actually waited till 21 years of age, then he could have been born abt. 1737. The earliest land indenture referencing Nathan Smith is dated 13 Aug 1770, so his first child with Unity Dickenson was born before that. Louisa Co was formed from Hanover in 1742, so Nathan Smith was born in that portion of Hanover that became Louisa Co., VA..  (FamilySearch profile)   Geni has Nathan born 1742 and dying 3 July 1837; husband of Unity Dickerson  (Geni Profile)  A second profile has him born 1745 and dying 10 July 1837 Louisa Co., VA.   WeRelate shows Nathan born 1745 and dying before 10 Jul 1837 (WeRelate)

(7) George Smith born by/before 1742. This date was calculated using the 1763 Hanover Co., VA tithe list minus 21 years of age. Louisa Co was formed from Hanover in 1742, so George Smith was born in that portion of Hanover that became Louisa Co., VA. George Smith was on of the witnesses to David Smith's 1778 Louisa Co., VA will. (FamilySearch profile)  (George Smith profile on this site)     (Geni Profile)

The webmaster for this page is the admin for his and his four siblings Ancestry DNA tests. Ancestry expresses the amount of shared DNA as cM and my siblings and I vary from 2519 to 2749 cM. In each generation the DNA we inherit from a given ancestor is cut in half the further back we go as shown by the tables below.   David Smith, at the 9th generation, is my 6th G-grandfather which means that I inherited roughly .39% of his DNA.

Cutting the cM in half per generation for my siblings and I shows the cM we inherited from each generation back:

Within Ancestry DNA I've found the following trees that show Shared DNA to David Smith 1698-1778, plus one Smith research I've been communicating with.

6 March 1750/51 - DEED: John Waller the Younger, planter, wife Agnes, of Spotsylvania County, to David Smith, planter, of Louisa County, for £86 Virginia, 398 acres in Louisa County on waters of Little Rocky Creek, adjoining Robert Sims, Richard Wright, Henry Gambill, Thomas Wash, William Wash, said David Smith, Richard Davenport, and John Kimbrow–part of a 3,770-acre patent to Thomas Carr, Gentleman, Decd., on 22 February 1727. /s/ John Waller, Jr., Agnes Waller. Wit: John Pettus, James Overton, William Davis.[Louisa County Deeds, A:417 (FamilySearch)] The land description in this deed was identical to the Carr Executors to William Waller deed of 27-28 November 1749 (see above). David Smith was on the land for several years before he obtained title.

22 Oct. 1751 Louisa County, Virginia Deed Book A and B, 1742-1759. Abstracted and Compiled by Rosalie Edith Davis. Bellevue, Washington 1976. page 69:

16 Oct. 1751 Louisa County, Virginia [Deed Book A and B, 1742-1759 p.444-445. (FamilySearch)]- Thomas King of St. Martin's Par., Louisa Co., Planter, and Sarah, his wife, to John Pettus of same, Gent. (pounds)120 currt. money. 214 acres; part of a tract granted to Shirley Watley by patent 25 May 1734; conveyed to Joseph Wade 6 Oct. 1737; conveyed to William Harris, and by sd. Harris to sd. King by deed 28 Oct 1747. The other part of afsd. land was bequeathed by the Last Will and Testament of Edward Bullock, dec'd., unto Lucy Tate, wife of William Tate; by same conveyed to Joseph Wade 6 Oct 1737; conveyed to William Harris; by Harris to sd. King 28 Oct 1747 of record in Hanover Co... corner of Wm Thomson's in James Harris' line...Richard Davenport's line...David Smith's line...on Main Road to Elk Creek...south fork of Little Rocky Creek...another corner of David Smith's, up the Creek...John Hales's...Mark Wheeler's line.
Thomas King
Sarah King
Wit: Richard Wright, William Pettus, John Wright, John Carter, William Berrey.

22 Oct. 1751 acknowledged by Thomas King. Sarah, his wife, declared her consent."

1770 - David Smith (St. Martins) is listed on page 98 in Virginia Tithables-from-Burned-Record-Counties for the year 1770 in Hanover Co., VA. with 9 Tithables and 348 acres

1770 Louisa VA tithes - David Smith  tithe-9 acres-348  (A History of Louisa Co., VA, by Malcom H. Harris M.D., p. 155 )

13 Aug 1770 Louisa Co. VA  [Deed Bk D p 221-222 (FamilySearch)] - To John Smith 200 acres in Trinity Parish from David Smith of St Martins Parish to Wm Smith.  Witnessed by Nathan Smith, John Smith, Barnet Dickinson

27 Sep 1772 Hanover Co., VA - will of John Walton and proved 5 Nov 1772 in Hanover Co., VA court where David Smith was a Witness to the will.

16 Feb 1778 Louisa VA Will of David Smith names sons William (aka Gilielmus), & John Smith  & George Lumsden as executors. and was witnessed by George Lumsden, John Smith, George Smith & John Wash.  And a codicil to the will was witnessed by the same men.
14 Sept 1778 - The will of David Smith was probated in Louisa VA court  (FamilySearch)

The will lists his sons David Smith & John Smith, along with George Lumsden as Executors.   The witnesses of David Smith's 1778 Louisa VA will:  George Lumsden, John Smith, George Smith, John Wash.

10 Nov 1788 Louisa Co.,Va., [Deed Bk.F,p.383 (FamilySearch)]
John Smith, Executor of last will & Testament of David Smith dec'd of St. Martin's Parish, Louisa Co.,Va. to Thomas Eddes of Louisa Co.,Va. for F 131.2.4 1/2 conveys 95 1/2 acres in St. Mark's Parish, Louisa Co.,Va. and bounded:   Beginning at a w;hite oak on the east side of Little Rocky Creek adjoining Richard Davenport's line, thence S 85 E 200 poles to a white oak saplin, thence S 55 E 25 poles to a large white oak on the Fork of a branch, thence S 43 1/2 W 68 poles to a pine, thence S 88 1/2 W 96 poles to the point where the line crosses the Main Road, thence N 76 W 130 poles to the said creek, thence on the said creek to the first station.
Witnesses: Abraham Fontaine, N. Thomason, Thomas Smith
John Smith (Seal)

8 June 1789  Louisa Co.,Va. [Deed Bk.F,p.436-437--(FamilySearch)]
John Smith and Nathan Smith, Executors of the Estate of their father, David Smith dec'd of Louisa Co.,Va. to David Tulloh of Hanover Co.,Va. for F 86.16 conveys 96 acres in Louisa Co.,Va. and bounded:   Beginning at a small ash saplin on the west side of Little Rocky Creek, thence up said Creek keeping the water course to the church, thence up the said Road N 20 W 70 poles to corner pointers, a black oak saplin in Wash's line, thence N 22 E 26 poles to the North River Road, thence down the middle of the Road 122 poles to the beginning.
Wit: James Goodman, Ananias Hall, Timothery Goodman
John Smith (D.S.) (Seal)

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St. Peter's Parish, New Kent, Virginia christening records for:   (Register of St. Peter's Parish)

John ye sone of David Smith & Elizabeth his wife Baptised ye 24 day of October 1686.

Elizabeth Smith daughter of Geo Smith & Mary his wife ba;' Oct ye 29, 1673.

William son of Thomas Smith Gent. by Mary his wife born the 25 March 1686

Susanna daughter of Thom. Smith & Mary his wife bap'ye 16 of April 1688

David son of Tho. Smith Gent. by Mary his wife born the 1st March and baptised the 3d March 1698-9

Elizabeth daugh of Tho. SMith Gent. by Mary bor. March the 28, 1701

Eliz. Dau' of Absalom Smith baptiz. the 19 Decem, 1694

Anne daug of Absalom Smith baptis the 31 March 1700

Charles son of Natha Smith bap' the 9 Mary 1697

John son of Nathaniel Smith baptiz. the 20 Oct. 1700

John son of Nath Smith born the 17 Sept 1700

Mary dau of Nath Smith baptis 17 Oct 1703.

Frances Daughter of Nathaniel Smith baptised Mar. ye 4th, 1707.

Thomas son of M' Smith as above born the 11 Oct 1669.

Major son of M' Smith as above born the 12 March 1692/3

Mary dau of M' Smitha as above born ye 7 Aug 1696.

James son of James Smith born the 14 Febry 1700/1

James son of James Smith bap 25 Aug 1706

Mary Daughter of James Smith Baptised Aprill ye 23d 1710

William son of Mr Wm Smith born May 1707

George son of Smauel Smith Baptised August ye 23rd 1713

_________ of Samuel Smith Born 1715